Tools help get the job done easier so with great tools you can build your website and generate interest in it, which will bring you traffic and then potentially income.

You will find some useful tool resources here to get your website/ blog and email list up and running.

*Some of the links on this page are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, we will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

Reliable web hosting

When I created my WordPress.org website (WorldSkoolie) I compared the many web hosting options available and based on price, ease of use and much reported excellence in support and stability, I chose Bluehost.

Reliable support is essential, especially when things go wrong and since we’ve received great service from Bluehost we’ve partnered with them to offer you their high quality hosting for a great price.

 

Signing up was easy and well automated to auto-install WordPress at the same time so even a beginner like me could handle the process. They have custom-built servers and 24/7 WordPress experts to deliver breakthrough performance that grows with your business.

You can choose to subscribe to receive their updates and coaching emails as you learn the ropes of getting your site going.

Starting at just $2.95/mo* they’re super value for money and I’ve had great experience with them.

Check them out for all your site hosting needs!

Email Marketing

How to build an email list and why

For any blogger or business, building an email list is crucial. It’s easy, effective and inexpensive, making email marketing a vital part of a successful content marketing strategy.

Whether you’re new to the online blogging or business world or have been around for years, creating an email list of your own will be invaluable so you can build rapport with subscribers and hopefully market in a strategic way to those who are interested in your content and products.

Why do you need an email list?

• Your own list of email addresses/ subscribers gives you ownership and control that can’t be taken away from you. Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest etc. are owned by someone else and could be removed at any time. However, email addresses are yours forever.
• Emails are free for consumers and most check them daily.
• They have more space for content than texts
• It’s an easy way to reach mobile customers without investing in a lot of additional software or technology. And most people access emails from their phones now which is another good reason to reach them this way.
• Emails are an amazing way to sell products plus email coupons and special deals drive more sign-ups and sales as people look for online bargains
• They allow you to deliver content and help you drive your site traffic upwards
• Emails create connection between marketers and customers as they’re easy to customise to includes people’s names and other personal touches
• Also, you can write specific emails to targeted address groups which leads to more sales because you write to people who want what you’re offering

How do you start your own email list?

Here are 5 steps to follow to start your own email list:

1. Know what your end goal of starting a list is – why do it?
2. Sign up with an email service provider (ESP)
3. Create an Optin Freebie(= an incentive to swap email addresses for)
4. Start Growing Your List
5. Figure Out What You Want to Email Your Subscribers

Step 1

Know what your end goal of starting a list is

Do you want to sell products? Make a living? Connect with people? Share ideas?

How many mails will you send weekly? Too many means people unsubscribe but too few doesn’t build connection. Once weekly?

Will you monetize your list by promoting affiliate products? Will you share life events or tips with your subscribers?

Step 2

Sign up with an email service provider (ESP)

ESPs are either paid or free. Using free services for an email list is hard to manage as they eventually limit the number of emails you can send.

However, an email provider like Constant Contact will often help you write your emails, organise your subscribers and understand the impact your email has – e.g. how many subscribers opened and read it, what links were followed etc. That’s useful!

Why Constant Contact?

• They offer a FREE 60-day trial of their email service – and without a credit card number to get the free trial!
• You can raise the profile of your business and its cash earning potential by marketing it like a pro using their email management suite
• Their drag-and-drop templates are user-friendly
• They provide all the advanced tracking features you could ever need.

In addition, they offer WorldSkoolie website visitors a cheaper deal than other email marketing providers. So reach your audience and build an effective email list to convert your work into results.

Click on the image below to investigate how.

Step 3

Create an Optin Freebie

You want people who want to learn from you to sign up to get your email content. 

To do this, offer an incentive. They’re known as optin freebies or lead magnets and they often solve a problem for the reader right away. Freebies can be a user guide for Pinterest or a checklist about something and are often emailed out to you.  

To find an idea for a freebie:

• Check which of your posts have the most engagement. Where are the most shares/ comments? What do people want to know more about?
• Be inspired by what other similar blogs are offering 
• Look in Facebook or Instagram groups to see what your audience is asking about

Then decide if your freebie will be in an e-book, video or email course, a cheat sheet or a PDF guide format? 

Keep it simple and quick. My first one page freebie took me over five hours to create on Canva as I had to learn the programme’s tools before being able to make my freebie. I edited heaps and wanted to to be just right. Ideally you’ll want to spend far less time on it and once your skills and eye for design are honed, they will be super straightforward and, depending on their length, much quicker too. The achievement feeling when you’ve done it is amazing so don’t give up.

Try Google Slides to create it. You can use G.S. to make slides, PDF guides, e-books, checklists or cheat sheets. Other options are Google Docs or Word initially.

Step 4

Start Growing Your List

How to do this:

Create an optin form to collect subscribers. 

Pop-up boxes can get annoying so a good place to put them is within blog posts (this is called inline) but just make sure it’s relevant to your content there.  

Once you have some forms collecting optins, you can promote your freebies by sharing them on Facebook or Pinterest. I use Canva.com to create content covers/pins for this which you can then upload to your blog or website and social media with links. 

Join Facebook and Pinterest groups and share your freebies whenever you can. You can even automate sharing on Pinterest by using a product called Tailwind. You set a schedule up and it pins for you while you sleep, or do something else with your time. 

Intro your post on Facebook with a question to your audience then answer with a short story and offer your freebie, which will solve the problem.

A win-win for everyone!

Step 5

Figure Out What You Want to Email Your Subscribers

Now send out a newsletter to your email subscribers…

What should it be about?

Here are some ideas:

• A welcome email series
• Links to your latest blog posts
• Exclusive tips
• Insight into your journey
• Product reviews
• App or resource suggestions 
• Life hacks
• Coupons, deals, sales etc.
• Guest posts or experiences
• Resources you’ve made or found

By putting this info into action, you’ll be on your way to email list building success!

Share or Pin this post. Thanks!

Meagan – WorldSkoolie

*Some of the links on this page are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, we will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.